Normal is Highly Overrated
by TammyDevil666
Summary: Post "Chosen," Buffy and Spike are reunited after about four years and Buffy has been keeping a secret, how will Spike be when he finds out? Buffy also faces a new enemy that seems a little familiar.
1. Chapter 1

I always wanted to write a post "Chosen" fiction ever since I saw the finale, but I never knew what to write. So, I just came up with some ideas and figured I'd better right them down before I forget. This takes place a few years after "Chosen." I didn't want to do it right after that episode ended; I wanted some time to pass. This would basically start out as everyone getting together after about four years, catching up with each other about what has been going on with their lives. Since it is Buffy though there will have to be some evil involved, but it's all good. It will be Buffy and Spike eventually, but be patient my children. I know how you all love your Spuffy and I did the best I could with it. It's really cute, well I think so. I hope I did okay with this. Feel free to let me know, I do try after all=)  
  
Chapter 1  
  
Buffy Summers was sitting in her room in Cleveland looking at her photo album that she put together. She was bored and felt like going down memory lane. She came across a picture that she took of Anya years ago and traced it with her finger. She was never that close to the other girl, but she did consider her a good friend at times and she missed her. Buffy missed how uncomfortable she used to make everyone with her sex talk and constant broadcasting of all the orgasms that Xander would give her. Buffy couldn't help but smile when she thought of that. The loss still affected Xander dearly and Buffy didn't know if he would ever get over her, but he was trying and getting better and she was glad to be there for him. She then came across a picture of an old family photo of her, Dawn, and Joyce. Buffy smiled at the picture and kissed her mother's face. "I wish you were here." She whispered to herself. She also couldn't help but notice how young Dawn looked; she couldn't believe how much she has grown in the last few years. She was a beautiful young woman now like Buffy always knew she would grow up to be. Buffy smiled again as she heard the front door open and a familiar voice.  
  
"Honey, I'm home." The man said as he walked into the apartment. Buffy rolled her eyes and left her room to greet him with a smile on her face.  
  
"You know that's getting a bit old." He smiled as he looked at her.  
  
"Yeah, but I do it because I know it annoys you." Buffy smiled at him and noticed that he had bags in his hands.  
  
"Oooooooooh, groceries. Thank god, I was sick of living off bread and water." She told him as she took the bags from him and put them in the kitchen. He nodded and looked at her.  
  
"You okay, you seem tired?" Buffy sighed.  
  
"Bored is more like it. We are technically on a Hellmouth right? If that is the case then why is it so dull here?" He shrugged.  
  
"I couldn't tell you, but I figured after all that you've been through you would welcome some boredom." Buffy shrugged also.  
  
"I guess, but I realized that it's not really my style. I always need to kill something." He laughed at her.  
  
"Always the Slayer." He told her and she smiled in return.  
  
"Don't you forget it." She then smirked at him. "Hey, do you think you could give me one of your massages that you're so good at. I'm feeling a bit tense." He rolled his eyes.  
  
"You know, I think that is the only reason you like having me around. I'm feeling taken advantage of." She gave him a puppy dog look that her and Dawn were still so good at.  
  
"Please, Robin. I'm desperate right about now." He sighed and walked behind her and put his hands on her shoulders and gently rubbed.  
  
"That's not fair; you know I hate it when you give me that look. No one can resist it." She smiled as she felt the tension leaving her body.  
  
"I know, it's a gift." She said as she strained to look at him. "So, where's your better half?" She asked him.  
  
"She was outside getting the rest of the bags, but she should have been back in by now. My guess is she stopped to talk to the neighbor, or yell at him I should say. I think she is trying very hard to not kill him." Robin said and Buffy laughed.  
  
"I know, I swear I fill the same way about that guy. He's such a perv; he's like 40-years-old and always hitting on Dawn. You do not know how much I feel like kicking his ass." Robin smiled as Faith finally walked through the door. "Speak of the devil." Buffy said and Faith glared at her.  
  
"I am close to showing that guy just what Slayer strength is all about. If he calls me sweet stuff one more time he will regret it." She told them as she put the rest of the bags in the kitchen. Buffy nodded as Robin went to put the groceries away, trying not to laugh. "You should have seen the store today, B. It was packed, I mean like damn." Faith told her friend.  
  
"I'll believe it." Faith looked at both of them.  
  
"How about we get away from here for a while? I don't know about you guys, but Cleveland is a bit too boring for my taste. I'm in the mood for some action and I know you are too." She said pointing at Buffy.  
  
"Tell me about it, so what did you have in mind?" Faith smiled.  
  
"Well, I was thinking that we could maybe head to LA for a bit." Buffy sighed, she knew that was coming.  
  
"Faith, I don't know about that." Faith rolled her eyes and Robin just smiled.  
  
"Come on, Buffy. You need to get away from here for a while. You can't avoid him forever you know." Buffy looked at her.  
  
"I'm not avoiding." Faith gave her a look and then looked at Robin.  
  
"Do you think she's avoiding?" She asked him and he nodded.  
  
"I think she's avoiding." Buffy glared at both of her friends.  
  
"I am not avoiding. It's just not a good time right now." She told them.  
  
"Sure it is, it's not like you're really busy or anything. Come on, B. You only talked to him a few times on the phone since we've been here; you haven't seen him in about four years. It's about time that he knew the truth. He's cool, I'm sure he'll be fine with it. You shouldn't be worried if that's why you don't wanna go." Buffy sighed.  
  
"Yeah, I guess you're right." Faith smiled.  
  
"Of course I am. I think we should all go too, we all could use a change of scenery." Buffy nodded and then thought of something.  
  
"What about Emily, she's never flown before?" Buffy asked.  
  
"Em will be fine, Buffy. Don't worry; I'm sure she'll have a blast. Where is she anyway?" Faith asked looking around the apartment.  
  
"She's out with Dawn and the others, they should be back soon." Faith nodded.  
  
"Anyway, I think maybe you should head there tomorrow by yourself. Robin and I have a few things to take care of first and then we'll be good to head there in a few days with the others. You should probably go alone to let Angel know that we're coming to make sure he has space for us." Buffy nodded.  
  
"I'm sure that won't be a problem, he has a lot of room. Not only does he have that huge Wolfram and Hart office, but he also still has the hotel." Faith agreed.  
  
"Yeah, but it might do you some good to spend some alone time." Robin nodded.  
  
"I will agree with that." Buffy sighed and knew she wasn't going to win this one.  
  
"Okay, I'll go in the morning." She said as she headed to her room to pack what she would need. She then stopped and turned back to them. "Before I forget, Giles called earlier. He wanted to know if you would be able to help him out in England with the Slayers?" She asked looking at Faith.  
  
"Sure, should have known he can't handle them all. I'll call him when we get to LA." Buffy nodded and then looked at Robin.  
  
"He asked for you too. They keep getting more and more Slayers and I'm guessing he could use all the teachers he can get at that school. There isn't that many watchers left and Wes has been busy in LA. I'm also thinking that he might kill Andrew and probably needs all the help he can get." Robin smiled and nodded without saying anything and then Buffy went back in her room to pack her things. She kept thinking about going back to LA and wondered what she would say to him and how he would be when he found out the truth. She took a deep breath and continued packing. 


	2. Chapter 2

Well, I just wanted to say to tinkerbell42 that you're pretty close, but not quite. Also to Nadine that it's not exactly like that because I couldn't do that for what I wanted, but I promise it still works out. That's all I'm saying, guess you'll just have to read to find out. I am evil after all. I'm glad you like it so far, there's plenty more where that came from=)  
  
Chapter 2  
  
The next day, Angel was in his office at Wolfram and Hart staring out the window. He loved the fact that he could feel the sun on his face and he still wasn't used to it. He heard someone enter his office and he knew who it was without even looking back. "Should have known I would find you here. All you do these days is stare out that bloody window. It's been years, you would think you would be used to it by now." Angel turned around and glared at Spike.  
  
"It takes time getting used to it. It's not like I can go outside during the day like you can. This is as close as I can get." Spike sighed.  
  
"Sorry, didn't mean to burst your bubble. I'll take you outside if you want." He told him with a smirk.  
  
"When I'm ready to become a big pile of dust I'll let you know." Angel told him and Spike shrugged.  
  
"Can't blame a bloke for trying." They just stood there in silence when Fred walked in.  
  
"Hey guys, Spike I'm glad I found you. I was wondering if you could help me out in the lab. I'm in desperate need of assistance and everyone else is dealing with stuff at the hotel. I figured you wouldn't mind." Spike nodded.  
  
"Sure thing, pet." He followed Fred out of the office without even looking back. Angel just went back to staring out the window. He's still not used to the fact that Spike came back years ago as a human. He still can't help thinking that it should have been him. He took a big unneeded breath and just continued to stare out the window. A few hours went by and Angel was in the same position until he heard someone knock on the door.  
  
"Come in," he said without even looking back. He heard someone open the door and walk into the office.  
  
"You know, I think you're loving that way too much." Angel turned around at the familiar voice.  
  
"Buffy," he said as he went to hug her and she hugged him back. After a few seconds he pulled away and looked at her. "What are you doing here? Not that I'm not happy to see you." Buffy smiled at her once lover.  
  
"I had to get away from the boredom that is Ohio. Just thought I would stop by. It's been a while." Angel nodded.  
  
"Too long, I'm glad you're here." She agreed.  
  
"Yeah, me too." They spent what felt like an hour talking about what has been happening the last few years and of course Buffy was leaving out one thing. She wasn't ready to tell anyone yet, but she would in a few days when the others showed up.  
  
"Well, what do we have here?" Buffy looked up at the familiar voice that she always loved and smiled as she saw Spike. 


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3  
  
"Hey you," she said as she got up to hug her friend and he hugged her back. She was still surprised to feel how warm he was because she was used to him being really cold when she touched him. She pulled away and looked at him. "So, how have you been?" She asked him.  
  
"Okay, still human and all." She smiled  
  
"That's good, that is good right?" He returned her smile.  
  
"Very, I'm actually loving it. I guess it helps that I still have some of my strength. I can also do my hair a lot better with a reflection, never knew how much I would miss it. Why didn't you ever tell me how good looking I was?" He told her with a smirk. That was the Spike she remembered. She just shrugged.  
  
"I guess I never noticed." She told him and he rolled his eyes.  
  
"So, how have you been?" Spike asked her.  
  
"You know me, five by five. Okay, I've officially been hanging out with Faith for too long. Honestly though, I've been really bored. I swear I've been in Cleveland for about four years and I've probably only killed about forty demons and vampires." She told him.  
  
"Not used to the quiet life I take it." She shook her head.  
  
"Really not, Faith suggested that we get away and come here for a while. She figured that we've been away long enough and that it was time to visit. Which reminds me, Angel. The others will be coming in a few days and I was wondering if maybe we could stay at the hotel. If that's okay with you." Angel nodded.  
  
"Of course, you can stay there as long as you need." She smiled at him.  
  
"Thanks," she said as she looked back at Spike who was suddenly touching her hair.  
  
"I see you have really let your hair grow out." Buffy nodded.  
  
"Yeah, we haven't really been able to afford many haircuts these days and I'll be damned if I'm gonna do it to myself again." Spike nodded also and smiled at her.  
  
"Well, I like it." He told her and she smiled at him in return. "So, how's the nibblet doing?" He asked, changing the subject.  
  
"She's 20 now, if you can believe it. So, I'm pretty sure she's done being a nibblet." Spike shook his head.  
  
"She'll always be my nibblet." Buffy smiled at him.  
  
"She'll be happy to see you, she missed you." Spike looked at her with a serious expression.  
  
"Did you miss me?" He asked her, afraid of what her answer might be.  
  
"You know I did." She said looking down, avoiding looking in his eyes. Spike then took her hand and lead her into the hall away from Angel's office so they could talk in private. Angel just sighed as he watched them go. It was like watching some messed up version of a soap opera when those two were involved. 


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4  
  
When they were out in the hall, Spike put a finger under her chin and raised her head so she would look at him. "Did you really? I was getting the impression that you didn't." He told her.  
  
"Why would you think that?" She asked and he sighed.  
  
"I don't know, it could be the fact that I haven't seen you in about four years and we've hardly talked at all in that time. I know that it was a shock when I came back as a human and you were probably confused, hell I was too. I know that you said we could be friends and I have to admit that that meant a lot to me, but then you just decided to go to Cleveland and I decided to stay here to help out Angel and that was just it. I hardly heard from you at all. It was like you didn't wanna talk to me. I didn't know where you were or even if you were okay." Spike said and he noticed tears forming in Buffy's eyes.  
  
"I'm sorry; I didn't mean to shut you out. I had to deal with something and I guess I was afraid to see you. I didn't know what to say. I don't know if this helps or anything, but I want you to know that I never stopped caring about you. Sometimes you were all I thought about and I always wanted to come see you, but I guess I was just scared." Spike nodded and pulled her into another hug, not wanting to let her go. He kissed the top of her head.  
  
"It's okay, I understand and it helps a lot. I'm just glad you finally decided to drop by. I missed you, Buffy." She raised her head and looked at him and he wiped some of her tears away. "Come on, I'll take you to the hotel so you can get settled. You could probably use some rest." She nodded and he took her hand again and they both left Wolfram and Hart. When they got to the hotel, Buffy found that it wasn't deserted like she thought. She saw a familiar face that she hasn't seen in a while and that she missed. Wesley looked up to see Spike walk in with Buffy.  
  
"Buffy, well this is a surprise. It's good to see you." He said as he hugged her.  
  
"You too, Wes." She said as she pulled away. "You just keep getting hotter as the years go by, I'm impressed." She told him with a smile and she noticed him blush.  
  
"Well, thank you." He told her. "You look good too; of course you never had a problem with that." She smiled at him and Spike shook his head and took her bags to one of the rooms upstairs. Buffy watched him go up and then she looked past Wesley and noticed Gunn who was talking to Lorne and they didn't seem to notice that she was there. Buffy smiled.  
  
"Hey sexy, who are you and what have you done with Charles?" Buffy said as Gunn turned and looked at her with a huge grin on his face.  
  
"Well, I'll be damned." He said as he made his way towards Buffy. "Girl, look at you. I see these last few years have been treating you right." He said as he grabbed Buffy in a hug, lifting her off the ground a little. He put her down and she smiled at him. She spent some time in LA before she left to Cleveland four years ago and she managed to get close to all of them. She never knew how much she missed them until now.  
  
"You know me, I try. It's good to see you, Gunn." He nodded and smiled at her when Lorne walked up to them.  
  
"Hey there, sweet cheeks." Buffy noticed Lorne and gave him a big hug, she managed to get very close to him and besides Clem who she also missed at times, Lorne was her favorite demon. She pulled away and smiled at him.  
  
"Hey, did I ever tell you that green looks really good on you." He smiled at her.  
  
"You gotta love this girl." Buffy returned his smile and kissed him on the cheek as a thanks.  
  
"It's hard not to." Spike said as he came back down the stairs. Buffy was trying not to blush at his comment.  
  
"Well, I guess I'll head upstairs now. I'm getting kinda tired." She said as she walked up the stairs past Spike, getting a shiver through her body when she brushed past him. She looked back at him. "Try not to miss me too much." She told him as she headed up the rest of the stairs. Spike smiled as he watched her go.  
  
"Easier said than done." He whispered so she wouldn't hear him. 


	5. Chapter 5

Hey, I just wanted to thank ya'll for the reviews. I can't believe people actually like this, but I try. I love doing the dialogue for the characters; I've been told I'm good at it. Anyway, here is the truth that ya'll wanted. Well, not the whole truth, but close enough. All shall be revealed in time=)  
  
Chapter 5  
  
A few days later, Buffy along with everyone else were back at Wolfram and Hart. After Buffy saw Fred and talked to her for a while, she decided to wait by the door for her friends to show up. She was a little nervous, but she took some slow breaths to calm herself down. "Well, someone looks like they're about to be sick." Buffy rolled her eyes at the familiar voice.  
  
"What do you want?" She asked with a not so nice tone in her voice.  
  
"Just to talk, Buffy. I'm sensing a little hostility here." Buffy sighed.  
  
"Well, you would be right. I'm kinda dealing with something, Lilah. So, if you don't mind you could go away now." Buffy said and Lilah just smiled at her.  
  
"Am I getting the impression that you don't really like me that much?" Buffy glared at her.  
  
"Well, you would be right again. I don't really know you that well, but I know about your past from what Angel told me and Faith. So, I'm finding it a little hard to trust you. You are technically dead, how's that working out for you by the way?" Lilah glared at the Slayer.  
  
"I'm dealing with it just fine. Well, I guess I'll leave you alone now. I wonder if there is a reason of why you seem so nervous. I mean, it's just your friends that you're waiting for. Why would that possibly make you nervous?" Lilah told her with a smile.  
  
"Goodbye, Lilah." Buffy told her, trying to keep her cool. Lilah waved to her and then she was gone. She then decided that she was sick of waiting by the entrance for her friends so she decided to go see Angel. All that waiting was making her even more nervous and she couldn't take it. About a half an hour later they showed up and Spike along with the others were there to greet them. They all said their hellos and hugged each other. Willow seemed happy to see Fred again and Fred was just as happy to see her. Willow introduced Fred to Kennedy since they never really met before. Fred hugged Kennedy also and the other girl was a little surprised by her enthusiasm, but she just smiled and hugged her back. Robin still seemed a little uncomfortable around Spike, but he decided to put the past behind him and they shook hands. Spike just figured it was for Buffy's sake, but he didn't say anything. He knew that they have been living together and have gotten close, just as friends since Robin is with Faith. He was also shocked when Xander hugged him, he just hugged him back. He knew how hard it was for him to lose Anya and he didn't want to do anything that might upset him. Spike knew what it was like to lose the one you loved. Spike then looked up and noticed Dawn for the first time and he couldn't believe how much she has grown. She looked so much like her sister. He also noticed that she was holding the hand of a small child. She looked to be about 3-years-old and had big eyes and curly blonde hair. Spike walked over to Dawn and smiled at her.  
  
"Hey nibblet," he said as she looked at him and smiled also.  
  
"Spike, it's good to see you." She said as she hugged him and he hugged her in return.  
  
"You too, you have really grown. I hope I can still call you nibblet though." Dawn nodded.  
  
"I would be insulted if you didn't." Spike then looked down at the little girl who was still holding on to Dawn.  
  
"What's your name little one?" Spike asked the child as she hid behind Dawn.  
  
"Her name's Emily, she's a little shy around new people." Spike nodded and knelt down so he was closer to the girl.  
  
"Hey cutie, it's alright I won't hurt you." Spike said as he held out his hand. Emily looked at him for a second and then put her small hand in his much larger one. "See, there you go." He said as he gave her hand a little shake. He ruffled her hair as he stood up and looked at Dawn. "She's a cute one." Dawn nodded and then Spike thought of something. "Wait, she's not yours, is she?" He asked and Dawn shook her head.  
  
"Well, not exactly." Spike wasn't sure what she meant when the little girl finally let go of Dawn and looked up like she saw a familiar face.  
  
"Mommy!" The little girl exclaimed as she ran off. Spike looked up and saw the girl run to Buffy and hug her legs. Spike then looked at Dawn who was avoiding his gaze and then he looked back at Buffy with a shocked look on his face as she picked the little girl up. 


	6. Chapter 6

Well, more of the truth will be revealed in this chapter. I wanted to say to Vld that your question will be answered in this chapter. I also wanted to let tinkerbell know that you have become my personal favorite and thanks for saying that you like my dialogue. I realize I'm sucking up for some reason and I don't know why. Oh well, no harm ever came in that. Anyway, I just hope that when you read this ya'll don't hate me for what I did, but I think that it had to be this way. Again, all shall be revealed. I'm sure some people might be disappointed, but I told you I was evil. Anyway, it still gets better and I still think the story is cute. I always imagined how Buffy would be with a daughter, so I hope ya'll decide to stick with me until the end, thanks ever so=)  
  
Chapter 6  
  
"Hey sweetie," Buffy said as she picked the little girl up. "Did you like flying in a plane?" Buffy asked in a sweet, motherly voice.  
  
"It was scary, but auntie Faith said that I would be okay and that she would protect me." Buffy smiled.  
  
"Well, she was right." Buffy kissed her on the head and then looked up and noticed Spike staring at her with a confused look on his face. Buffy took a deep breath. "It's now or never." She said as she put Emily down. She held her hand and walked over to Spike. When Buffy was in front of Spike she didn't know what to say. She just took another breath and decided that the truth would probably be the best approach. "Spike, this is Emily. She's my...she's my daughter." Spike's eyes got big as he looked at Buffy and then at the little girl who was holding on to her hand.  
  
"Yeah, I'm getting that. I should have noticed, she does look just like you." Buffy smiled at him, glad that so far it was going okay. "So, I'm guessing this is what you were scared about telling me." Buffy nodded and looked down and then back up at him.  
  
"I wasn't sure how you would handle it. I wanted to tell you so many times, I guess I just didn't know how." Spike nodded and asked the question that he really didn't want to ask, but he knew he had to. He was just afraid of what the answer would be.  
  
"So, who's the father?" Buffy sighed; she knew he would ask that. She wasn't sure about what to tell him when Xander walked up to them.  
  
"There's my little girl." He said as he picked up Emily and twirled her around, the girl giggled in delight. Spike looked even more shocked as he looked from Buffy to Xander.  
  
"Xander, why don't you take her to meet the others while I talk to Spike?" Xander nodded and walked away with Emily still in his arms. Spike just watched him go and then looked back at Buffy.  
  
"Wait, you mean to tell me that he's the father. When did this happen?" Spike asked, his voice raising.  
  
"Spike, calm down. It's not what you think." Spike crossed his arms over his chest.  
  
"Okay, care to explain then?" Buffy nodded.  
  
"Xander's not the father, but he is so good with her and Emily loves him. She called him daddy a while ago and I didn't exactly have the heart to tell her that he wasn't, so I may have let her believe that." Spike sighed in relief.  
  
"So, if he's not then who is?" Buffy looked down and she looked like she was about to cry. Spike wasn't sure what was wrong.  
  
"I don't want to talk about it. Can we just leave at that for now, please?" Spike noticed the sad expression on her face and decided not to push; she'll tell him when she's ready. He just looked at her and nodded.  
  
"Of course, you don't have to talk about it if you don't want to. I just want you to know that you can tell me anything and I'll always be here for you, you know that right?" Buffy nodded and looked at him.  
  
"I know, thank you." She said as she hugged him. He felt her tears fall on his shirt as he hugged her back and he was trying to hold his own tears in. He didn't think it would make her feel better if she saw him crying too. He just held her for what seemed like forever and he couldn't help but wonder, what happened to her? 


	7. Chapter 7

Well, I knew some people would have reacted that way to the last chapter. I just did it for the fun of it. My friend pretty much freaked when I read it to her until I finished the chapter that is. She really wanted it to be Xander though since she doesn't like Spike, but like I was really gonna make her happy. I'm sticking by my evil comment. I love Xander, but I couldn't have him as the father. He's too much like a brother and I just couldn't do it even though I did always want her with him. I guess things change. I didn't have Buffy reveal it yet because it's a sensitive subject for her and I just know people will hate me for it when she does reveal the truth, but again I think it had to be this way.  
  
Chapter 7  
  
It was getting too crowded at Wolfram and Hart so everyone headed back to the hotel. Buffy was upstairs in her room reading a book while Emily was sleeping next to her. Buffy was stroking her hair when she heard someone knock and she looked up to see Angel. She smiled at him. "Hey, come in." She whispered so she wouldn't wake up Emily. He smiled at her and sat on the edge of the bed as she put her book away.  
  
"Is this a bad time?" Buffy shook her head.  
  
"No, I finally got her to sleep. Poor thing was exhausted." Angel nodded and looked at Buffy as she was stroking her daughter's hair.  
  
"So, you have a kid?" Buffy smiled at him.  
  
"What gave it away?" Angel shrugged.  
  
"Well, everyone was pretty surprised when they found out. I definitely didn't expect it." He said as he looked at Emily. "She's pretty cute." Buffy nodded and looked at her daughter.  
  
"She's my everything." She said as she kissed her on the forehead, hoping not to wake her up.  
  
"I guess it's true when they say you never know how much you love something until it's gone." Angel said, more to himself than Buffy.  
  
"Are you okay? You seem sad all of a sudden." Buffy wondered and he looked at her and gave her a smile.  
  
"I'm fine, it's nothing." Buffy nodded then looked back at him.  
  
"I'm sorry about Cordelia. I know how much she meant to you." Angel nodded.  
  
"It's okay, I'm dealing." It was hard for Angel when Cordelia fell into a coma and he always hoped that she would regain consciousness, but there were complications and she died a few years ago. It was hard for Angel along with everyone else. She would truly be missed. He was still dealing with the fact that he gave his son away; of course he would be the only one that would remember. He just hoped that wherever Connor was, he would be happy. That's all he ever wanted for him. "So, I guess you still don't want to talk about who the father is." Buffy shook her head.  
  
"Not right now, it's too hard." Angel nodded.  
  
"I understand, do Dawn and the others know?" Buffy nodded also.  
  
"Of course, it would have been hard keeping it from them. They were with me through everything and I don't know what I would do without them." Angel nodded accepting her answer, even though he wished he could have been there for her. "So, how has Spike been really holding up after all this time? You know with being human and all." Angel shrugged.  
  
"It was hard for him at first, but he's adjusting and I think he's doing better. It just takes time." Buffy looked down and then back at Angel trying not to cry.  
  
"I should have been here for him. He got sent back as a human after saving the world and he had to go through so much and I wasn't here to help him with it. I just took off to Cleveland the first chance I got without even thinking about how it would affect him. That's how it always is, isn't it? Things get tough and I run away, some things will never change." Buffy stated as the tears slowly flowed down her face. Angel touched her face gently.  
  
"You only did what you thought was right. You both needed some time apart to think about things." Buffy looked at him.  
  
"Yeah, but four years apart. I could have visited or called more, but I didn't. I was just so scared about him finding out about Emily that I couldn't even manage to contact him. I went and started this whole new family without him even knowing. I couldn't tell him because I was afraid he would hate me." Angel brushed hair out of her face.  
  
"He doesn't hate you, Buffy. He could never hate you. You are still all he talks about and I know you two can get through this. You're here now and that's all that matters." Angel told her, trying to make her feel better. She just put her face in her hands and continued to cry. Angel hugged her to him and let her cry on him. She then pulled away and looked at him. She was about to say something when she felt Emily move next to her and knew she was waking up.  
  
"Mommy," the little girl said.  
  
"I'm here, baby." Buffy said as she lifted her daughter up and put her on her lap. The little girl then wrapped her arms around her mother's neck and started to cry. "Shhhhhh, it's okay sweetie. You had another bad dream?" Buffy felt Emily nod and she just rocked her back and forth to calm her down. Angel got up and headed to the door.  
  
"I guess I should head back down." He stated.  
  
"Angel, do you think you can take her to Dawn while I change?" Angel nodded and walked back to her. "It's okay, he's a friend." She whispered to the girl as she handed her to Angel. Angel wrapped his arms around the child and even though she didn't really know him she also wrapped her arms around his neck like she did with her mother. "I'll be down in a minute." Buffy told them and Angel nodded then looked at the child.  
  
"Hey, if you smile I'll give you some ice cream. You like that?" The little girl looked at the stranger and smiled as she nodded her head.  
  
"Yeah," she told him and he smiled back at her.  
  
"That's a good girl." He said as he left the room. Buffy watched them go and she couldn't help but smile also as she got up to change. 


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8  
  
Buffy and Xander were walking through the streets of LA after night fall. They felt like getting out for a while. "How you doing, Buff?" Xander asked, breaking the silence.  
  
"I'm doing okay, I guess. It's just weird, seeing him again. I want things to be better this time." Xander nodded.  
  
"You're thinking about starting up something with Spike again?" Buffy shrugged.  
  
"I would like to, I don't know why I've been so afraid. I mean he is human now, you would think that would make me feel better about being with him. I do love him, which I'm not even sure if he knows. How can he when I just took off and disappeared for four years. I don't even know if he wants me anymore." Xander grabbed her arm to stop her.  
  
"That's crazy talk, Buff. Of course he would still want you." Buffy looked at her best friend.  
  
"What makes you so sure?" Xander smiled at her.  
  
"He would have to be insane not to. Any man would have to be crazy not to want you, Buffy." Buffy gave him a faint smile then looked down.  
  
"Yeah, but what about...?"  
  
"He was an idiot." Xander said, cutting her off. He knew what she was going to say. "You are the most amazing person in this world and if he couldn't see that then it was his loss and he's not even worth it. You deserve better, Buffy. Your daughter deserves better." Buffy looked at Xander and hugged him. She then gave him a soft kiss on the cheek.  
  
"I kinda love you, you know that?" She told him and he smiled at her.  
  
"I know, I kinda love you too." He told her as they started walking again in silence. After a while, Buffy stopped when she felt something. Xander stopped also and looked at her. "You okay?" Buffy shook her head.  
  
"I'm getting one of those feelings, like when you think someone is watching you." Xander looked around and didn't see anything.  
  
"Well, that sucks. Now my surprise is blown." They both turned at the familiar voice as someone stepped out of the shadows. Buffy couldn't believe it.  
  
"No, you can't be here." Buffy was staring at herself.  
  
"Well, I think I am here." Xander had the same look on his face.  
  
"It's the First, how is that possible? It should have gotten destroyed when Sunnydale did." Buffy glared at herself.  
  
"Or so we thought." She said. It just stared at them.  
  
"It's good to see you, Slayer. We'll meet again, when the time is right." It said as it ran past Buffy with what seemed like super speed and then disappeared. Buffy was pushed back into a wall and Xander went to her.  
  
"This can't be happening, Buffy. What are we gonna do now?" Buffy didn't answer him; she just stared at the place where she just saw herself with a shocked look on her face. She kept wondering as she stood there, that something wasn't right. 


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9  
  
"So, the First is back. Well, this is bloody great." Spike stated after Xander told them about their encounter. Buffy was just sitting in silence with Emily by her feet while everyone argued about how this could be possible after all this time and about what they were going to do. Buffy still couldn't help but wonder about something that didn't seem right.  
  
"I don't think so." Buffy said, finally speaking up and getting everyone quiet. "I don't think it's the First." She finished and everyone looked at her wondering what she meant.  
  
"What do you mean, pet?" Spike asked and Buffy looked at him along with the others around her.  
  
"It looked like you, Buffy." Xander said and Buffy nodded.  
  
"I know, but something doesn't seem right. When it went by me it just ran, it didn't just disappear out of thin air. We probably just thought it disappeared because it was so fast. Also, when it went by me it touched me and knocked me into the wall. Unless the First somehow managed to make itself corporeal I think we're dealing with something else." Buffy told them.  
  
"That is a good point. I didn't think of the fact that it touched you." Xander claimed.  
  
"So, we're dealing with something else that has the ability to look like anyone?" Willow asked.  
  
"I'm not sure, but I think some researching is in order." Buffy said and everyone agreed.  
  
"Yes, well it is getting late. Why don't we all get some rest and research in the morning?" Wesley said and everyone agreed as they all left upstairs. Xander went by Buffy and put his hand on her shoulder.  
  
"You gonna be okay?" She gave him a faint smile so he wouldn't worry.  
  
"Yeah, I'm good. Just a little tired." Xander nodded.  
  
"You should get some rest. I'll see you in the morning." He told her as he headed upstairs. Buffy wasn't really that tired and she didn't think she would be able to get any sleep. She picked Emily up off of the floor.  
  
"Kennedy," Buffy said as she walked over to the other Slayer once she noticed that she was still downstairs. "Could you take her for me? She needs to get some sleep and I don't think I can anytime soon, so I'm gonna go for a walk." Kennedy nodded and took Emily.  
  
"You sure you should go alone?" Buffy nodded.  
  
"Yeah, I'll be fine. Mommy will be back soon, honey." Buffy said as she ruffled her daughter's hair and kissed her on the forehead.  
  
"Okay, just be careful." Kennedy told her as she headed upstairs with Emily. "Come on, sweetie. Time to get some sleep." Buffy heard Kennedy whisper to Emily as they went upstairs. Buffy smiled at them. She knew how much Kennedy loved Emily like a little sister and the little girl adored her also. No matter what happened, she knew that her child would always be in good hands. Buffy took a deep breath and then left the hotel and headed out into the night. 


	10. Chapter 10

Hey, just wanna thank everyone for the reviews and to say that I know the chapters are really short. I always do really short chapters so I can have more. I never can manage to write long ones so stick with me. This chapter was for fun, but the next one is when more of the truth is revealed. I finally have Spike in this one. I feel like I've been neglecting him a bit, so hear ya go=)  
  
Chapter 10  
  
Buffy went to the nearest bar where she was sitting drinking a diet coke. She knew that her and alcohol never worked together, not that she would get drunk now anyway. She was just staring into her glass when someone sat next to her and the stench of beer and tobacco hit her nostrils. "Hey baby, how about I buy you a drink?" Buffy looked at the man that was next to her. He was big with dark hair and a lot of facial hair and he also looked like he was in his 40's. Buffy just rolled her eyes trying to hide the fact that she was really grossed out.  
  
"No thanks, I'm good." She said as she lifted up her glass of diet coke and took a sip.  
  
"What's a pretty girl like you doing in a dump like this?" Buffy shrugged.  
  
"Just needed to get out for a while." The man nodded and then smiled at her showing that he was missing some teeth. Buffy was trying to be polite and not gag.  
  
"How about you and me get out of here and go to my place. I guarantee you a good time." Buffy couldn't take it anymore and she laughed, the hell with being polite.  
  
"Yeah, like that'll happen." She said as she got up, suddenly wanting to be elsewhere. The man grabbed her arm and stopped her.  
  
"Come on, gorgeous. I promise you won't regret it." Buffy rolled her eyes again and pulled her arm away.  
  
"Somehow I doubt that." He was about to say something else when Buffy felt a familiar presence behind her and an arm that went around her shoulders.  
  
"Sod off, mate. This one is mine." Buffy smiled as she recognized Spike. The big guy didn't seem to take the hint though.  
  
"Hey man, I saw her first." Spike glared at the other guy.  
  
"Piss off; she's too good for you. I saw some nice whores by the entrance, why don't you try to pick them up. They seem more your style." Spike said and Buffy was trying not to laugh. It seemed to do the trick though and the guy headed off in the direction Spike said without even saying anything. When he left Buffy couldn't keep the laughter in any longer.  
  
"That was too good, thank you." She told Spike and he smiled at her.  
  
"Don't mention it; love." Spike then took her hand. "Let's get out of here." Buffy nodded and let him lead her outside. 


	11. Chapter 11

Okay, this is the chapter where the father is revealed and I'm just gonna say that it's no one of importance so don't guess because you pretty much won't know. I still hope ya'll won't hate me for this, but like I said I think it had to be this way so she can realize how good Spike is for her. Also, that comment about it being Riley, don't worry. I actually love Riley though, believe it or not. I always liked him and I'm sure no one else really does so don't hate me for that either, but I wouldn't have him as the father because I would really want him to stay with Sam because I like her and think she's good for him. Well, here ya go, be gentle=)  
  
Chapter 11  
  
"So, how did you find me?" Spike shrugged.  
  
"I have my ways." He said as Buffy gave him a look. "Okay, I followed you." Buffy smiled at him.  
  
"You're not becoming a stalker again, are you?" Spike rolled his eyes.  
  
"No, I was just worried about you. Wanted to make sure you were alright." Buffy looked down.  
  
"Oh," she said as they both continued walking in silence. Buffy noticed that her hand was still in his, but she didn't care to let go. She took a deep breath and decided that it was time. "His name was David." Spike stopped to look at her.  
  
"Is that the guy that you weren't ready to talk about, the father?" Buffy nodded and looked down, then back up at Spike. She could never lie to him really well when she looked into his eyes. They were hypnotizing.  
  
"I met him in Cleveland, obviously. We only went out for about three months and one night, we slept together. It wasn't something I planned on, it just happened. I felt so bad about it because you were alive in LA and I just moved on to the first guy that I met. I never forgot about you though. I wanted to be with you, I was just confused and David was there. Anyway, I found out a little after, that I was pregnant. When I told David though he didn't really seem to care. He didn't want a kid and treated the situation like it was just my problem, like he had nothing to do with it. He took off after that and I never saw him again." Buffy finished as the tears spilled down her face. Spike tried not to cry as he hugged her to him. He couldn't believe that someone could do that to an amazing woman like Buffy.  
  
"It'll be okay, he was a loser and you deserve better. You have the most beautiful daughter in the world and he missed out on getting to know her, on getting to know you. It's his loss and you shouldn't beat yourself up over it." Buffy nodded, realizing how similar his words were to Xander's.  
  
"I'm sorry I didn't tell you. It just hurt to talk about. You would think I would be used to guys walking out on me." She said with a smile trying to lighten up the mood, but Spike knew how badly she was hurting. "I was so grateful to have Dawn and my friends with me through everything. At least I didn't have to deal with it alone." Spike brushed a strand of hair out of her face.  
  
"You'll never be alone." Buffy kissed him on the cheek.  
  
"Thank you, for being a good friend. Even with all the crap I put you through in the past." Spike smiled at her, he couldn't believe how much she has grown up. She wasn't the 16-year-old girl she was when he first met her. She was a very mature 26-year-old woman and he loved her.  
  
"Don't worry about it. It was all worth it." Buffy took his hand again and they continued the walk back to the hotel in silence. Buffy suddenly felt that feeling again like she was being watched. She stopped and looked around just to be sure.  
  
"Help me," they turned at the voice to see a little girl who looked to be about 8-years-old. Spike walked over to her.  
  
"Hey, you lost or something?" The girl nodded and Spike took her hand. "Come on; let's see if we can find your mum." Spike looked up at Buffy and noticed a scared look on her face. He let the girl's hand go and walked over to her. "Buffy, what's wrong?" She didn't answer him; she just pulled her stake out and aimed it towards the little girl.  
  
"Get the hell out of here!" Buffy exclaimed and the girl gave a twisted smile and a wave and then disappeared back into the shadows. Buffy then put her stake away and looked at Spike who seemed confused.  
  
"Okay, what was that about?" He asked her.  
  
"That was what me and Xander saw." Buffy replied and he still looked confused.  
  
"The thing that you thought was the First?" She nodded. "How did you know?" Buffy looked at Spike and then to where the girl was only seconds before.  
  
"That was my cousin, Celia. She died when I was little." Buffy then continued to the hotel without looking back. Spike stared after her for a few seconds and then followed her. 


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12  
  
Back at the hotel, Spike told everyone what happened. "Well, now we know it's not the First." He said once he was finished.  
  
"How do we know that again?" Robin asked.  
  
"Well, whatever it was touched me like it did Buffy. So, I'm guessing we might be dealing with a shape shifting demon or something like that. It's just a theory." Buffy looked at Wesley.  
  
"Were you able to find out if the First has the ability to somehow make itself corporeal?" Wesley shook his head.  
  
"Not to my knowledge. As far as I know, the First may only take the form of the dead and is not able to touch anything or anyone." Buffy nodded.  
  
"Okay, so I might believe that whole shape shifting demon theory. Could you do more research to see if such a thing exists so I know what I'm dealing with?" Wesley nodded and went to check his books. "Maybe someone could also call Giles and tell him what's going on. He might know something about this." Buffy told them.  
  
"I'm on it." Willow said as she headed to the phone.  
  
"I don't know about anyone else, but I'm not really a great researcher. I could use some sleep." Xander said.  
  
"I'm with you on that." Faith agreed. "This has been a long night." They all headed upstairs to their rooms to catch some shut eye. Buffy was still downstairs when she heard a scream and she knew it belonged to Emily. In a second she was running up the stairs, Spike right behind her. She opened the door to her room and found Emily sitting up in bed with tears coming down her face. Buffy went to her and put her arms around her and the little girl did the same as she cried. Spike just watched the scene before him, not sure what to say. The others came in the room to see if she was alright and he assured them that she was and that they should go back to bed. They didn't have to be told twice as they all left. Spike closed the door and sat on the bed by Buffy.  
  
"Is she okay?" Buffy nodded and looked at him.  
  
"Yeah, she just had another bad dream. It's been happening a lot." Spike nodded and watched as the little girl started to calm down.  
  
"Why don't I take her to my room, Buffy? You need to get some sleep, you're exhausted." Buffy just nodded.  
  
"Okay, I just hope she won't keep you up." Spike shook his head.  
  
"It's not a problem." He told her as Buffy handed Emily over to him. He put his arms around the child and looked at her noticing that she still had tears in her eyes. He wiped them away like he did for her mother. "It'll be alright, sweet pea. There's nothing here that can hurt you." He told her as he kissed her forehead. The little girl then wrapped her arms around his neck and squeezed him tight. "Got yourself a good grip there, but Uncle Spike has to be able to breathe these days." He told her with a smile as she loosened her grip on his neck. Buffy couldn't help but smile at how cute he was with her. Spike saw her smile and it felt good to see it, it's been a while. He walked back over to Buffy and kissed her on the forehead also. "Goodnight, sweetheart." He whispered to her as he left the room with Emily. Buffy couldn't help but smile again as she lay down on the bed and after a few minutes, finally drifted off to sleep. 


	13. Chapter 13

Well, just wanted to say that Emily's dreams don't really mean anything. She just has regular nightmares like any other kid so it's not like her dreams are prophetic and that she's gonna grow up to be a Slayer or anything. It doesn't exactly run in the family. Well, that's my guess anyway.  
  
Chapter 13  
  
"Buffy, wake up!" Buffy rolled onto her back and opened her eyes when she felt someone shake her awake. "It's about time; I thought you would sleep the whole day away." Buffy got her eyes to focus on the person before her.  
  
"Dawn, what time is it?" Buffy asked.  
  
"It's after noon. You never sleep this late, you okay?" Buffy nodded.  
  
"Yeah, I'm fine. I must have been more tired than I thought." Buffy told her sister as she sat up.  
  
"You must be really hot too, you're sweating bullets. You're not getting sick, are you?" Buffy shook her head.  
  
"I don't think so; I just had a weird dream." Dawn nodded.  
  
"You wanna talk about it?" Buffy shook her head again.  
  
"I...I don't remember it." Dawn looked at her sister and knew that she hardly ever forgot her dreams. She just hoped it wasn't one of her Slayer dreams, she decided to let it go for now.  
  
"You missed breakfast, but I'm sure you can find something. I'll just let you get dressed and I'll see you downstairs." Dawn said as she headed for the door.  
  
"Dawn, where's Emily?" Dawn turned back to her older sister.  
  
"She's still with Spike; I think she's gotten attached to him. When I went to go wake him up I found her cuddled up to him in bed, it was the cutest thing. I took the liberty of grabbing my camera to take a picture for you. It would go great in your album; you don't really have any of Spike. It's also great to prove to him that the Big Bad is truly dead, I'm sure he'll love that." Dawn told her with a grin and Buffy had to smile in return. Her sister was so grown up now, but it still amazed her how she could go on and on about anything.  
  
"I'll be right down." Buffy said as Dawn nodded and left the room. When Buffy finally made it downstairs she was greeted by Wesley and Angel, she wondered where the others were.  
  
"Hey, you finally got up." Angel said as she joined them downstairs.  
  
"Yep, what did I miss?" Wesley looked up from the book he was reading.  
  
"Well, looks like Spike's theory of a shape shifting demon may be correct. Shape shifters have the ability to change into anything or anyone. Unlike the First it can touch and take the form of the living which would make it very dangerous. It seems to have targeted you, Buffy. No one else has had an encounter with it as far as we know. It makes its victims weak and vulnerable by taking the form of anyone that plays or played a severe part in that person's life. That could be why it chose to come to you as the form of your cousin. This demon seems to know a lot about you, Buffy. You need to be careful." Wesley finished.  
  
"Why is it after her? It's not like she's the only Slayer out there." Angel wondered.  
  
"I'm not sure; it could be because she is the strongest. There is more, it turns out that the demon can only be killed in its true demonic form. This would make killing it even more difficult. Of course, it can't stay in another form for too long or it would endanger itself, so every now and then when it's weak it would go back to its demonic form. We would just have to catch it when it does, which doesn't seem very easy. Also, unlike the First the demon cannot go from one form to another. It would have to return to its demonic form before it can change into something else." Wesley said as he handed Buffy the book he was looking at. "This is what the demon really looks like." Buffy looked at the picture of the demon and she cringed. It was huge with slimy green skin, razor sharp claws, and horns sticking out of its head.  
  
"I'm suddenly missing the quiet life." Buffy said as she put the book down. "There's something else, I think it came to me in my dream last night. Not as its true self though. It came to me looking like...like the Master." Buffy said as she looked down.  
  
"Buffy, why didn't you say something?" Angel asked as she looked at him.  
  
"I wasn't sure if it meant anything or not, and it's not something I really wanted to talk about." Angel nodded.  
  
"Well, I guess it's safe to say that Buffy is its primary target. You have to remember that whoever it decides to look like, it's not really them. You can't let it affect your emotions, that is exactly what the demon wants." Wesley told her and she nodded.  
  
"Don't worry, I can handle it. Faith and I will patrol tonight. This is probably something that I shouldn't do alone." They both agreed and Buffy went to find the others. 


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14  
  
Buffy, Faith, and Spike were out patrolling for the demon and they weren't having much luck. Buffy sighed and looked at Spike. "You know, you didn't have to come with us." Buffy told him.  
  
"I know, but I wanted to. Why should I let you ladies have all the fun, and I'm not letting you out of my sight." Spike told her as she gave him a small smile.  
  
"Awwwww, that is so cute. It's enough to make me wanna hurl." Faith said, teasing. Spike then had a big smile on his face as he stuck his foot out to trip Faith. She stumbled and almost fell, but she kept her balance. Faith turned to glare at him. "You want a piece of me, bleached boy." Spike just laughed.  
  
"You think you can take me, Slayer?" Faith smiled at him.  
  
"You know it, bring it on." With that Faith kicked him, but Spike grabbed her foot and she lost her balance that time and fell on the ground. She had a pissed off look on her face, but then she just started to crack up. Spike helped her up and she patted him on the back. "I have really missed you, man." She told him and he nodded his head.  
  
"Yeah, same here." Buffy rolled her eyes.  
  
"I can't take you guys anywhere." They all laughed after that and it felt good. For a second Buffy forgot about the demon that she was looking for, but only for a second. She knew she had to take the situation seriously, but it still felt good to laugh with her friends. "Well, we've been walking for what seems like forever and I'm not seeing anyone I recognize. Maybe he's not gonna show tonight." Buffy told them.  
  
"I think we should still look around a bit more. I want this thing dead. I can't have it coming after my girl now, can I?" Faith said as she put her arm around Buffy.  
  
"Thanks," Buffy replied.  
  
"No prob, we're in this together, B." Buffy agreed, it felt good to have Faith on her side. They were walking around for what seemed like another hour when Buffy had that feeling again.  
  
"I think it's here." They both stopped to look at her.  
  
"How do you know?" Faith asked.  
  
"Before it shows up I get this really weird feeling, like I'm getting now. I have a feeling it's pretty close." Faith nodded and her and Spike looked around for anything.  
  
"Well, this is nice. Looks like you came looking for me, I'm touched." Buffy turned around at the familiar voice and rolled her eyes.  
  
"Ethan Rayne, this just keeps getting better and better." Buffy said, sarcastically.  
  
"Well, I see you didn't come alone. I should have known that you still have your little army. It's a shame that they won't be able to help you." Buffy rolled her eyes again.  
  
"Aren't you supposed to be making me weak and vulnerable, because right now I'm just getting pissed off?" Ethan gave her a sinister smile.  
  
"That will come later, child. I like to play around with my victims first." Buffy then pulled out her stake because it was all she had even though she knew it wouldn't do much.  
  
"Well, I'm done playing around." She said as she attacked Ethan, Faith and Spike right behind her. She kicked him and punched him like there was no tomorrow and he didn't even get bruised. Ethan grabbed her arm and she dropped the stake.  
  
"You're wasting your time." He told her with a smile. Then a few vampires came out from what seemed like nowhere to keep Faith and Spike distracted. While they were busy with them, Buffy was still trying to get her hand away from the demon. She wasn't having much luck because he was pretty strong. She heard a few vampires getting staked behind her, but she didn't turn around. Never taking her eyes off Ethan. She watched as he pulled a big knife out, still holding on to her. "I wasn't planning on doing this right away, but you are starting to annoy me." Spike staked his last vampire and watched as Faith got her last one also. He then looked up at Buffy and he saw Ethan with a knife in his hand and knew what was going to happen. Without even thinking he ran over to Buffy and threw her out of the way as the knife came down and sliced into his side. He yelled in pain and fell to the ground.  
  
"Spike!" Buffy exclaimed as she went to his side.  
  
"Well, that wasn't supposed to happen. I'll deal with you later, Slayer." He said before he took off. Buffy noticed that Spike was shivering from blood loss.  
  
"Faith, we have to get him out of here." Buffy told her, trying to stay calm. She put one of his arms around her and Faith ran up to them and did the same with his other arm. With that done, they both headed back to the hotel because it was closer than a hospital. Buffy knew that Spike wouldn't want to go to a hospital anyway. She could relate to hating hospitals. They carried him in silence and Buffy only had one thought on her mind, please let him be okay. 


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15  
  
Buffy was lying next to Spike on the bed in his room, she wanted to be there when he woke up. After they helped him up the stairs and stopped the bleeding as best they could, Spike fell asleep and he has been out for at least six hours. Buffy knew he was going to be alright, but she was still worried and kept thinking that it was supposed to be her. After a few minutes of worrying, she finally let sleep claim her. A few more hours went by when Buffy felt Spike stir next to her. She opened her eyes to look at him and saw that he was moving, but his eyes were still closed. She probably figured he was having a dream and by the looks of it, not a good one. "Spike, wake up!" She said as she tried to nudge him awake and not making much progress. "Come on, sweetie. You're having a bad dream, come back to me." With that Buffy kissed him on the forehead and he calmed down a bit and finally opened his eyes to look at her.  
  
"Buffy," he said as he sat up with a start in the bed. "Are you alright? He was after you and I tried to stop him, but I couldn't. I couldn't get to you." Spike said, tears starting to form in his eyes. Buffy then pulled Spike's head to her chest and held him as he cried.  
  
"Shhhhh, it's okay. It was just a bad dream, I'm fine." He shook his head not moving it from her chest; he liked the feel of her heartbeat.  
  
"It seemed so real." Buffy rocked him back and forth like she would her daughter when she had a nightmare. He then looked up at her. "He didn't get you?" Buffy shook her head.  
  
"No, you stopped him." That seemed to make Spike feel better. Buffy took a deep breath before asking her next question. "Why did you do it?" Buffy asked as Spike looked at her, not sure what she meant.  
  
"Do what?" He asked her.  
  
"That knife was meant for me, Spike. I would have probably been fine, but you're human now. You could have been killed; you know you have to be more careful these days." Spike nodded and looked like he was about to cry again.  
  
"I had to, Buffy. Whenever you're in trouble I don't think before I act. I couldn't bear the thought of losing you again, even if it meant risking my life. Hell, I've done it before. You're more important in this world. You have a little girl to raise who already will grow up without her real father; she doesn't need to lose her mother too. I just couldn't risk anything happening to you." Buffy looked like she was about to cry at his speech, but she held it in. Instead she touched his face gently and kissed him softly on the lips. When she pulled away he had a surprised look on his face.  
  
"I love you." She whispered to him and the surprised look was still on his face. After a few seconds of registering what she said he smiled.  
  
"I love you too. I always have, and I always will." He told her as he also kissed her softly on the lips just like she did before. "Till the end of the world." He whispered to her as their foreheads touched. With that Spike lay back down on the bed and after a few seconds, Buffy lay down next to him with her head on his chest. She also loved the feel of his heartbeat. He wrapped his arm around her and in a second they both fell into a peaceful sleep. 


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16  
  
Buffy was downstairs by herself in the hotel lobby. She wanted to get this over with. "Are you sure about this?" Willow asked her.  
  
"Yeah, I want this done with. I can handle it." Willow nodded and knew that her best friend could take care of herself.  
  
"Alright, just be careful. We'll all be close by, but out of the way until you need us. Don't worry about Emily, she's upstairs with Spike so she'll be okay." Buffy nodded and hugged her.  
  
"Thanks," she said as Willow smiled at her and took off. She then looked around the now empty hotel and took a deep breath. "Come on, show yourself." She said to no one in particular.  
  
"Hey Buff, what are you up to?" Buffy turned around and saw Angel.  
  
"Um, nothing. I just fancy some alone time." Angel nodded.  
  
"Well, that's understandable. Why don't we go for a walk or something, take your mind off things." Angel told her with a smile.  
  
"Yeah, why don't you get my jacket for me? It's on the back of the chair." She said as she pointed to the nearby chair. When he went to get it she pulled out her tazer that Faith gave her and zapped him from behind and she watched as he fell to the ground, but not unconscious. He then had a sinister laugh.  
  
"Well, I guess I should have given you more credit." He told her.  
  
"Let's just say that I know Angel, and you're not Angel." The demon tried to get up, but Buffy zapped him again and he fell back down. She then picked him up and threw him into a wall. He laughed again like everything in the world was funny to him.  
  
"You think you can beat me, girl. You don't know what you're dealing with. You're all alone." He taunted her and this time Buffy smiled.  
  
"Care to test that theory?" With that all the others came out from hiding and started attacking the Angel look alike and he found himself outnumbered. The real Angel then showed up with rope and started tying the demon up until he couldn't even move.  
  
"You think this can hold me! I'll kill you all for this!" The shape shifter exclaimed. Buffy then walked back over to him and zapped him again, this time longer until he finally claimed unconsciousness. They all stared at her.  
  
"He was starting to annoy me, let's get him downstairs." She told them as she headed downstairs, the others following her. Angel and Gunn were carrying the captive. They threw him into the cage that held Angelus all those years ago. Angel was thinking about how similar the situation seemed. They locked him in and knew that no matter how strong he was, he wouldn't be able to get out. "Alright, you guys should get out of here. I'll handle the rest." They all nodded and headed upstairs. Angel put his hand on her shoulder.  
  
"Good luck," he said as he headed upstairs after the others. Buffy nodded and then looked at the unconscious form in the cage.  
  
"I won't need it." She said to herself. She then grabbed a nearby battle axe that she found and waited. After a few minutes she started to see the demon change. What once looked like Angel now started to resemble a very hideous green demon. "Okay, that looks a lot worse than the picture." Buffy said as she waited for the change to finish. She then opened up the cage door before it could regain its consciousness. She held the axe above her head and before she could bring it back down the demon was up in an instant and grabbed the axe.  
  
"You will die!" The demon stated, nothing human about the sound of its voice. Buffy then kicked it into the wall and tripped its feet out from underneath so it fell back to the floor.  
  
"You wanna see my impression of Gandhi?" She told him as she brought the axe down and chopped his head right off. "Never get tired of that." She claimed as she put the axe down. When she looked back at the demon she noticed that it started to melt until it was nothing but a green goo. She just cringed as she put the axe back where she found it. "That's gross, but at least it's over." She said to herself as she headed back upstairs. 


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17  
  
Everyone was in the lobby talking after Buffy killed the demon. "Man, I wish I could have seen that, B." Faith told her when she was finished.  
  
"Well, better you than me. It felt good though, haven't had a good kill in a long time." They all stared at her like she grew a second head. "Not that that's a good thing, because give me the quiet life and I'm there." Buffy said and no one really believed her. "I guess we should probably head back to Cleveland, some of us have school and jobs to get back to." The others agreed.  
  
"Well, Robin and I are gonna head to England. We told Giles we would help out for a bit." Buffy nodded and hugged both of them.  
  
"I'll miss you guys, the apartment will be too quiet without you." She told them.  
  
"Well, we will be coming back. You can't get rid of us for too long." Robin told her. Buffy smiled and headed to the Angel Investigations gang and hugged all of them.  
  
"Thanks for letting us stay here and just for everything." Buffy told them.  
  
"You're welcome, Buffy. Be careful in the land of the dull, okay?" Angel told her and she smiled.  
  
"That shouldn't be a problem." She replied.  
  
"You take care, sweetie. You make things interesting around here so things won't be the same without you." Lorne told her.  
  
"Yeah, we could use more hot chicks around here." Gunn said as he gave Buffy a wink.  
  
"Well, I will definitely visit more often. I'm just sorry it took me so long to get here." They all nodded, not sure what to say when Buffy saw Spike come downstairs with Emily. She walked over to him and she took Emily from him.  
  
"She just woke up; I think she managed to have a dreamless sleep this time." Spike told her.  
  
"Well, now that the demon problem is taken care of we're gonna head back to Cleveland." Spike nodded and looked down, trying not to show her how upset he was. "So, you wanna come with?" Spike looked up at her.  
  
"You mean it? You would want me to go with you?" Buffy nodded.  
  
"Yeah, I do. We have four years to make up and I want things to work with us. I wanna make things better. That is if you wanna come." Spike nodded.  
  
"Yeah, of course." Buffy smiled at him.  
  
"I'm sure Emily would like that, right honey? You want Spike to live with us for a while?" The little girl nodded in excitement.  
  
"Yeah, I like Spike!" Buffy laughed and Spike smiled.  
  
"I guess that's a yes." She told him.  
  
"Well, guess I better go pack." She nodded and he went upstairs. While he was packing, everyone else was saying their goodbyes.  
  
"Bye bye, precious. You be good, okay?" Fred said to Emily and Buffy smiled at the girl.  
  
"Don't worry, she will." Buffy said as she hugged Fred. Spike came back downstairs and went toward Angel.  
  
"Well, I guess this should make you happy." Spike told him.  
  
"I don't know about that, I was used to having you annoy me. You take care of her and the little one, they need you." Spike nodded.  
  
"Thank you, Angel. I mean that, thanks for putting up with me. I know I can be a pain to live with, but you didn't throw me out even though I'm sure you wanted to. You know, you keep this up I may have to consider you a friend." Angel smiled.  
  
"We can't have that now." He told him as Spike smiled in return. Angel then hugged him and patted him on the back which surprised them both. Spike then walked to Buffy and Emily and after taking one more look at the hotel, they all walked out. Angel stared after them as they left the hotel as a family with only one thought on his mind, normal is highly overrated. Who needs it?  
  
The End  
  
Well, that is where I must come to an end. I really liked how this fiction came out and it's the longest one that I've done so far. Not bad when I started out with hardly any ideas. Well, I'm glad everyone liked it. I really don't know how Spike is gonna end up on Angel, but I always thought it would be as a human because who needs two vampires with souls working together. Too bad I was wrong about that, but oh well. Let's just hope Spike doesn't take up brooding as a hobby because Angel does that just fine. Well, whatever happens I can't wait to see it. Even though it can never take the place of Buffy, like anything could do that. Well my pretties, this is where I must say, here endeth the lesson=) 


End file.
